Learning Disability and Dyslexia Assessments
Is Your Bright Child Struggling at School or Do You Suspect a Learning Difficulty in Yourself?
A comprehensive educational assessment can identify learning difficulties such as dyslexia and provide a clear profile of cognitive strengths and areas needing support. For children and adolescents, the results directly inform learning strategies, school accommodations and educational planning. For adults, an assessment can explain longstanding difficulties with reading, writing or numeracy that have never had a name and provide the documentation needed to access workplace adjustments, further education support or other services.
Vivien provides educational and learning disability assessments in person at the Newtown clinic in Sydney's Inner West, and via telehealth for clients across NSW. She draws clients from across the Eastern Suburbs, North Shore, Parramatta, Western Sydney and greater Sydney.
An educational assessment is often helpful when there are:
Ongoing difficulties with reading accuracy, fluency, spelling or writing.
Problems with mathematics or numerical reasoning.
Significant gaps between apparent ability and academic performance.
Slow learning progress despite appropriate effort and instruction.
Unexplained difficulties that have persisted across school years or into adult life.
Concerns about dyslexia, dyscalculia or other specific learning disabilities.
The need for formal documentation to support school accommodations, HSC special provisions, tertiary adjustments or workplace arrangements.
Vivien provides comprehensive educational, psychoeducational and learning disability assessments - including dyslexia assessments - for children, adolescents and adults.
As part of the assessment process, Vivien uses the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test, Third Edition (WIAT-III), the most widely used standardised measure of academic achievement, combined with the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-V) or Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS-IV) where a cognitive profile is also needed. Together these tools provide a detailed picture of how academic skills compare with intellectual ability — which is often where the most meaningful clinical information sits.
The WIAT-III measures a wide range of academic skills including:
Reading accuracy, fluency and comprehension.
Spelling and written expression.
Mathematics and numerical reasoning.
Oral language and listening comprehension.
Following the assessment, you will receive a comprehensive written report outlining:
Cognitive strengths and areas of relative difficulty.
An academic skills profile across all areas assessed.
Whether a specific learning disability - such as dyslexia, dyscalculia or dysgraphia - is present.
Clear recommendations for educational intervention, school support and adjustments.
Guidance on applying for HSC special provisions, NAPLAN adjustments or tertiary support where relevant.
A summary suitable for sharing with a school, GP, treating professional or employer.
Following the assessment, you will receive:
Clinical Psychologist with Masters in Educational Psychology, Member of Australian Psychological Society, Fellow of the APS College of Clinical Psychologists
Meet Vivien Suttner
Vivien Suttner is a clinical psychologist with a Masters in Educational Psychology and over 25 years of experience in a range of psychological therapies and educational assessment. Learning assessment has been a central part of her clinical work throughout her career, including supporting children and adults who have spent years struggling without understanding why.
Her reports are written to be practically useful: for children and their families, for school learning support teams, for GPs and paediatricians, and for adults seeking formal documentation for workplace or tertiary adjustments.
Vivien sees clients from Newtown and across the Inner West, Eastern Suburbs, North Shore, Parramatta and Western Sydney, with telehealth available across NSW.
Vivien focuses on diagnostic accuracy, clarity and practical recommendations that are meaningful for families, schools, GPs and other professionals.
Send an enquiry or book a Learning Disability and Dyslexia Assessment
To discuss whether a psychological assessment is appropriate, book an assessment or to make a referral, please complete this form and Vivien will be in touch.